Roy Wiedow, 86, of Naples, Fla., formerly of Oak Park, died on Aug. 6, 2011. Born in 1925, he grew up in Oak Park, graduated from Lincoln School and from Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1943, where he was a four-year varsity athlete in basketball and baseball. A left-handed pitcher, he helped propel the OPRF baseball team to the state championship in 1942. Mr. Wiedow and his future wife, Marilyn, were voted “Class Romeo and Juliet.”
Upon graduating from OPRF, he attended the University of Illinois School of Engineering as part of the U.S. Navy V12 program during WWII. He also played basketball and baseball for the University of Illinois and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox.
He worked as a project engineer with Northern Illinois Gas Company, later NICOR, for 39 years and was very involved with Oak Park’s youth sports, coaching many youth baseball teams.
Mr. Wiedow was one of the original members of the OPRF Booster Club, a longtime communicant at St. Edmund Church, a member of St. Edmund’s Men’s Club and Bowling League, as well as an avid bridge and pinochle player.
He was also a founding member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Naples, Fla., where he was an active member of the Doers Group and the Golf League at the Palm River Country Club.
Roy Wiedow is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 65 years, Marilyn (Williams); his children, Kathy (Bob) Marsh, Bill, Sue Giorango, Lynn (Tom) Lealiou, Joanne (Ron) Nault, and R.J.; his 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Ruth (Jaeger) Wiedow; his daughter-in-law, Kathy; and his son-in-law, Tony Giorango. A true Oak Parker to the core, many of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren still live in the village he so loved. He will be sorely missed by his large family and many, many friends. Donations in his memory can be made to the OPRF Booster Club, 201 N. Scoville Ave., Oak Park, 60302 or call 708-383-0700 for more information.
